First Impressions
by Nefhiriel
Summary: Aragorn, Legolas & the twins “overhear” the hobbits talking with Faramir and Eowyn about their first encounter with Strider in Bree. Humorous postRotK vignette.


**First Impressions **

**By: **Nefhiriel

**Rating: **G

**Genre: **Humor

**Summary: **Aragorn, Legolas & the twins "overhear" the hobbits talking with Faramir and Eowyn about their first encounter with Strider in Bree. Humorous post-RotK vignette.

**Characters: **Aragorn, Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas, Faramir, Eowyn, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin.

**Feedback: **Pretty please? It means SO much to me! You can e-mail me (address in bio), or send me a review, whichever is easiest for you. I'll try to respond to you through your e-mail address (if you're not a member, and would like me to get back to you, leave your e-mail).

**A/N: **Please have mercy on me with this vignette… It's my first attempt at writing Faramir, Eowyn, or any of the hobbits. (gulp) I apologize if it seems stilted - this extremely rabid plot bunny simply refused to let go of me until I wrote it!

A short update for those of you who asked for a sequel to _The Wrong One_: I'm still on the process of working on it, but I'm having some trouble with it, so first I plan on posting a story Imbecamiel (my sister) and I co-authored (it will be called _He's Gone_). We managed to write all but parts of the last two chapters while we were on vacation, so all that remains is polishing things up and pulling it together. I can't say exactly how long it'll take, but hopefully it won't be too long. I miss talking to you all, and hope to see some of you there : )

_A HUGE thanks to my betas _**Eleniel Ithil **_and _**Imbecamiel **_for taking the time to edit this!_

* * *

The four hobbits gathered together on two benches, laughing and talking. Their hearts were light and their banter even more animated than usual, as the relief they felt at the war being over finally began to sink in. All around them, the beautiful sunlit gardens of the White City added even more to the festive, light-hearted mood of the day. 

Frodo settled further back into the shade of the tree that overhung the bench, sighing contentedly and allowing the other hobbits to carry on with most of the conversation. Sam, with instinctive and still slightly paranoid loyalty, sat down next to him. Their curved bench, and the one Merry and Pippin sat down on, formed a half circle, just off the more heavily traveled path. The hedges around them provided privacy, and transformed the small turnoff into a comfortable alcove.

All of them, even Merry and Pippin, were silent for a few minutes as they ran out of small-talk. The absolute peacefulness of the gardens served as all too sharp a contrast to what they'd just been through, and reminded them of just how close they'd come losing everything. But along with all the memories of darkness and evil, there were also memories of new friendships.

Merry was the first to break the silence. "Do you remember the first time we met Strider?"

At his side, Pippin laughed. "How could we forget?"

Frodo smiled as he listened to the other hobbits, remembering clearly the suspicion he'd first regarded Strider with.

Their reminiscence was interrupted as Pippin exclaimed, "Faramir!"

They all looked up to see Faramir, with Eowyn by his side, strolling down the main path. At Pippin's cry they both looked up.

"Well, hello Master Halflings." Faramir said, drawing the Lady Eowyn aside into the alcove.

"Faramir, Lady Eowyn," Merry and Pippin said in unison, "join us!"

Eowyn smiled warmly in greeting. There was something particularly glowing about the White Lady today—something happy and trouble-free that surrounded both her and Faramir. "We wouldn't want to interrupt."

"You wouldn't interrupt." Pippin nudged Merry and they scooted over to make room as Faramir and Eowyn sat down.

"We were just talking about the first time we met Strider," Mary said, introducing them to their previous topic.

"Strider?" Faramir's eyes sparkled with mirth. "That is one thing I have always wanted to ask you: why do you always call Aragorn 'Strider'?"

It was all the incentive the hobbits needed. Soon they were deep into the tale of how they had met Strider.

**-o0o-**

"Now Elrohir, you shouldn't talk about Estel like that anymore," Elladan admonished, looking with teasing fondness at his adopted human brother as Elrohir, Legolas, Aragorn, and he strode through the sunlit gardens.

"And just why shouldn't I talk about him 'like that' anymore?" Elrohir asked.

Elladan smiled slyly, still gauging Aragorn's reaction to the conversation. "Because, muindor, he's all grown up now."

Aragorn, who had been walking in front of them with Legolas in stoic silence, enduring their teasing remarks, finally turned on them. "Yes, _I _am, but you two apparently are not," he said, glaring at his two older brothers.

"Now look what you've done," Elrohir exclaimed in mock terror, "You've incurred the terrible wrath of our royal brother!"

Elladan eyed Aragorn, who continued to glare icily at them, and exclaimed in over-exaggerated astonishment, "You mean _he _is the King?" Despite his smirk, there was something a little more serious than teasing playfulness in his voice when he added, "I seem to recall, on several occasions, our dear brother here insisting quite adamantly that if he ever was to try to become king, no one would ever follow _him_…"

"And I was right, wasn't I? No respect, not even from my own family." Aragorn turned to his friend with a look of pure martyrdom. At this point, Legolas couldn't contain his amusement any longer. His laughter rather ruined any impression the glare Aragorn leveled at the twins might have been able to make.

With a growl that didn't quite cover his own amusement, Aragorn said, "Don't make me arrest you two for treason."

This, of course, only caused the twins to burst into laughter. Soon, all traces of solemnity were gone as Aragorn added his own wry but good-humored smile to the overall atmosphere of happiness.

Aragorn and Legolas sank onto a bench and smiled at each other as the twins began to argue over an insignificant remark one of them had made.

"Somehow how I feel like I'm back in Rivendell…" Aragorn said nostalgically, glancing wistfully around him.

Legolas nodded. "Yes, the birds singing, the sun shining, a beautiful garden surrounding us…"

"…Elladan and Elrohir arguing in the background…" Aragorn finished the sentence and offered Legolas a lopsided grin.

"Of course," Legolas laughed. "I was just getting to that. Rivendell wouldn't be the same without those twowalking the halls, debating some insignificant point, or plotting the world's next great disaster in their bedrooms."

Aragorn snorted. "I don't really understand why Ada ever let those two leave Imladris—I don't think Middle Earth is quite ready for them yet."

At this point in their conversation, the debate between Elladan and Elrohir was becoming rather loud. Aragorn decided it was time to either separate them, or risk being in an embarrassing situation he would much rather avoid should any of the many diplomats and courtiers currently residing in the White City decide to take an unsuspecting stroll in the gardens.

Legolas settled back onto the bench to watch Aragorn, who was now standing between the twins, his hands raised in a placating gesture that was obviously not being heeded. Aragorn was right, this scene did remind him of many similar scenes in Rivendell… Before he could go any further on that train of thought, a noise behind him suddenly interrupted his reminiscent thoughts. No, not a noise, voices. There were voices coming through the hedge behind him. Legolas smiled as he realized that they weren't just any voices, but the high, excited voices of hobbits.

A voice—a decidedly annoying voice, Legolas decided—whispered in his mind, something about it being considered improper and rude to eavesdrop. He might have listened to that rational little voice, but right then, his keen elven hearing caught a part of the conversation coming through the hedge. It was far too interesting to just ignore.

"…we were all of us terrified of Strider! At least at first but…"

Legolas cursed inwardly as the discussion taking place in front of him grew loud enough to cut off the last part of the sentence.

He turned on his three friends with a harsh, "Shh!"

Startled, the twins and Aragorn slowly turned and sat down next to him on the bench.

"What is it, mellon-nín?" Aragorn asked, genuine concern darkening his silver eyes at his friend's abrupt behavior.

Legolas, without looking at any of them, held a finger to his lips. "Listen."

They did. And through the hedge they all heard the childish voice of a hobbit.

"…and when he grabbed Frodo! Well, we all panicked of course," they heard Pippin say.

"Pip and I stopped to grab something to fight him with, though I was too angry at the time to remember what it was," Merry added. "but Sam, here, just charged right up the stairs after him without a thought as to how he was going to defend himself! When it came down to it, Sam was braver than any of us."

They could almost hear the quiet gardener blush as he interjected, "It wasn't bravery at all," he corrected, sounding flustered. "I just saw Strider dragging Mr. Frodo off, and I couldn't help myself."

"You should have heard him, Faramir," Merry interrupted, ignoring Sam's humble remonstrances. "He burst into the room and said, 'you leave him alone, Longshanks, or I'll have you!'"

The quiet laughter of Lady Eowyn and Faramir was added to that of the hobbits.

Pippin spoke up again, "But Strider did look awfully threatening all dressed in black, with his huge sword, and we were all terrified of him."

After hearing this, the twins began to chuckle so hard that any attempt to hear more was impossible.

Legolas laughed quietly as well. "Now _that _is a side of you that I would like to see more of."

Elladan smiled impudently and said, "I always wondered what kind of things you did while you were off in Bree."

"I didn't know you terrorized hobbits—Longshanks!" Elrohir said between his own laughter.

"The invitation for a permanent residence in the royal dungeon still remains open…" Aragorn muttered. When the three elves ignored him and began to strain to hear more of the conversation, he commented in a tight voice, "It's considered _rude _to _eavesdrop_." When he got no response he said a little more loudly, "I hope you three _do _realize just how ridiculous you look?" He appealed to Legolas, "I would expect this sort of behavior from my brothers, mellon-nín, but you, the Prince of Eryn Lasgalan, _eavesdropping_?"

"We're not eavesdropping, Estel." Legolas said, turning his head for a moment to look at the human.

"Then what in Arda _are _you doing?" Aragorn asked in exasperation.

Legolas shook his head and smiled condescendingly. "As a human, you couldn't understand, Estel, just how hard it is for an elf _not _to…overhear conversations when they're taking place in such close proximity."

"_Overhear_?"

The twins quickly shushed him, and he sat down on the bench sighing resignedly as the elves continued to listen in on the conversation taking place behind the hedge.

"…and he's so brave!" Pippin was just saying.

"On Weathertop he fought off all the Ringwraiths single-handedly!" Merry exclaimed enthusiastically.

The three elves turned laughing eyes on the ranger. Aragorn scowled and sank further down onto the bench, looking as if he wished the ground would swallow him up. The hobbits, unaware of their audience on the other side of the hedge, continued to ramble on, Merry and Pippin doing most of the talking.

"And then we finally reached Rivendell." There was a pause and then Merry continued thoughtfully, "Do you remember, Pip, when we first met Legolas?"

Pippin laughed. "Oh yes—and the sons of Elrond! When we first saw the Lords Elladan and Elrohir they were—"

On the other side of the hedge, the twins suddenly straightened up and cleared their throats loud enough to obliterate the rest of the sentence. This time it was Aragorn's turn to look smug, and the twins' turn to look embarrassed.

"You seem to have suddenly lost all interest in the conversation…" Aragorn smiled, amusement sparkling in his silver eyes.

Elladan offered a sheepish grin. "You know, Estel, it's really not very polite to eavesdrop."

* * *

**THE END**

Hope you all enjoyed – I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of it : )

_(Edited 3-12-07) _


End file.
